1. Key focus on cybersecurity

As global connectivity increases and we do more online, software development companies and businesses who rely on software must put a key focus on cybersecurity. Cybersecurity, computer security, or information technology security encompasses the protection of networks and computer systems from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services provided.

Having a strategy on cybersecurity enables businesses to create prevention, detection, response and remediation plans for cybersecurity threats or attacks, eliminating or minimising the impact on their business.  

2. Growth of cloud services

In 2022, more businesses will phase out their on-premise computing in favour of the flexibility, reliability and scalability that cloud services offer. Cloud services are broadly used by startups, businesses, institutions, and government organisations. We can expect to continue to see the transition of cloud computing technology in various industries, businesses, and organisations globally. Where businesses traditionally had their own on-premise networks for reasons such as data-security or Virtual Private Networks (VPN), it is expected they will move part of or all of their network services to the cloud in 2022.  

Cloud service giants like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud have been providing cloud services to individuals, businesses, and enterprises, offering complete flexibility to businesses and enabling them to scale as they grow. 

3. Artificial Intelligence for better user experiences

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the fastest-growing software development trends used for highly innovative technologies. With the evolution of AI, there has been an increasing demand for both machine learning and deep learning, and artificial neural networks. These are predicted to have an impact on software development trends in 2022 as users expect more from their experiences with software. 

Machine learning requires more ongoing human (development) intervention to get results. Deep learning is more complex to set up but requires minimal intervention thereafter. Artificial Intelligence (AI) uses high technology for giving more accurate predictions about user behaviours, business or customer data, and human psychology. 

4. The rise of DevOps

DevOps is a modern development approach used for creating custom software by combining software development with IT operations to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Amazon Web Services describes DevOps as the combination of cultural philosophies, practices, and tools that increases an organisation's ability to deliver applications and services at high velocity: evolving and improving products at a faster pace than organisations using traditional software development and infrastructure management processes. 

It is expected that software development companies will continue to adopt agile development and DevOps methodologies to rapidly development software solutions in 2022, with traditional software development methodologies such as Waterfall phasing out. 

The bottom line

To develop innovative and world-class software applications, businesses must be aware of the latest trends in software development in 2022. In the fast-paced and ever-changing climate that is software development and information technology, we continue to see a rise in the demand for software development that is both agile, secure, scalable, quick to deliver and robust, while also offering better user experiences.